A change will do you good

I took this photo before seeing the "no photography or sketching" sign at the cemetery outside Arroyo Seco near Taos. It's a vivid display of Hispanic tradition on the same trip we bought smoked chicos, supposedly another Hispanic tradition.

Cool temps and a little rain has the mind wandering to food that didn't even sound remotely appealing a couple of weeks ago so I'm thawing out the last of the winter's posole.

Kind of got in the mood on our recent New Mexico trip.

It's been so long, I can't remember if it's red- or green-chile based, but we'll see this weekend. That should set a precedent for cooking some stew, maybe with lamb, or a bowl of the red. Well, probably a vat of the red.

But the most exciting thing is while in Santa Fe a week ago (a very long week ago), wife Karen and I went to the farmers' market and bought smoked chicos. The lady tending the booth said it was a traditional preparation, but I've never heard of it. Chicos yes, smoked, no.

Chicos are dried sweet corn kernels that you cook like dried beans, sometimes with dried beans. Yum but not a summer dinner candidate. Too hefty.

But smoked chicos? Apparently they're smoked on the cob and then removed because there was a gray/brown ear still in the shuck that looked pretty smoky on the booth's table.

What to simmer them with? A few short ribs, garlic cloves, Mexican oregano and a whole dried guajillo chile or two? Anasazi beans (also from the farmers' market)?

Maybe. But first the posole.

I'll get back to the market in a later post. It's always way fun and gives me possibly crazy ideas. Goat milk made into blue cheese? Got a taste and had to buy it. Thinking of using it on a grilled pizza with pancetta and pear slices.

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